Nov. 3, 2004
Fairfax, Va.--George Mason University's men's soccer team (7-10-1, 3-5-0 CAA) will play in its final regular season game on Nov. 5 when the Patriots host Colonial Athletic Association member school James Madison (14-2-1, 6-2) at George Mason Stadium at 7 p.m. on `Senior Day'.
Prior to kick-off seniors Danny Climo (Wirral, England), John O'Hara (Foxford, Ireland), Matt Mendy (Banjul, Gambia) Damien Quinn (San Diego, Calif.), David Quinn (Kilkenny, Ireland) and Barry Suber (Woodbridge, Va.) will be honored for all of their hard work and dedication throughout the years with Mason's men's soccer program.
The Patriots snapped their six-game losing streak and kept their CAA Tournament hopes alive by rallying for a 2-1 victory at Hofstra last Friday, but then dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 decision at Drexel in double overtime on Sunday. Mason trailed Hofstra 1-0 with five minutes to go, but junior defender Damian O'Rourke tied the contest on a header at the 85:05 mark and Mendy converted the game-winner just 1:04 later. It was the seventh goal of the season for Mendy, who has tallied a pair of game-winners. Damien Quinn is now tied for second in the CAA in assists after getting his seventh on Mendy's game-winner. Mason launched 19 shots at Drexel but was held scoreless for the sixth time in its last eight contests. Junior forward Teba McKnight (Couva, Trinidad) picked up an assist at Hofstra and now stands fourth in the conference with 20 points (7g, 6a). Mason needs at least a tie to have a chance to make the six team CAA Tournament field.
The Dukes came from behind to defeat Drexel 2-1 on Friday, but were unable to overcome an early deficit in a 2-1 loss at Hofstra on Sunday. Freshman midfielder Tristan Murray scored the game-tying goal at Drexel in the 30th minute and sophomore midfielder Mark Totten converted the game-winner with less than 10 minutes to go in regulation. It was Totten's fourth goal of the season. Sophomore Kurt Morsink provided the assists on both goals and is now third in the CAA in points (24) and goals (9) and fourth in assists (6) for the season. The Dukes fell behind Hofstra 2-0 in the first 30 minutes, but cut the margin in half as senior Denny Fulk scored his third goal of the season by heading in a cross from Mike Tuddenham. Hofstra was the first team this season to score more than one goal against JMU, although the second score was on a penalty kick. The Dukes need a victory over the Patriots and a Virginia Commonwealth loss to be able to host next week's CAA Championship.
Mason holds a slight 15-12-4 advantage in the overall series with JMU with the last meeting on Nov. 7, 2003 where the Patriots were defeated by the Dukes, 2-0, in Harrisonburg for the final contest of the regular season.
